Heart & Circulation
Beet Greens
The beet plant’s leafy top, overlooked at the grocery store, yet richer in vitamin K, vitamin A, and most minerals than the root it’s attached to.
Bone Health
Detox
Vision
Serving
1 cup, raw, chopped (38g)
Calories Per Serving
8
Key nutrients
Vitamin K, vitamin A, dietary nitrates, lutein
Nutrient density
Not officially rated
Why it’s worth eating
Beet greens are the leafy tops of the beet plant, often discarded despite outranking the root in nearly every nutrient except folate. They are exceptionally rich in vitamin K, vitamin A, and dietary nitrates, supporting bone metabolism and healthy blood flow. Sauté them like chard, or add young leaves raw to salads.
What you may notice
Markers worth tracking
How to eat it
Sauté the stems separately from the leaves since they take longer to soften, or add young, tender leaves raw to salads.
Pairs well with
Healthy fats (olive oil, nuts), helps absorb the fat-soluble vitamins K and A Vitamin C-rich foods, aids absorption of the leaves’ non-heme iron
Storage
Refrigerate unwashed in a perforated bag; use within 3-4 days, as they wilt faster than the beet root itself.
The numbers, per
127%
Vitamin K
13%
Vitamin A
13%
Vitamin C
3%
Calcium
5%
Iron
6%
Magnesium
6%
Potassium
0%
Vitamin B12
0%
Vitamin D
Fiber
1.4g
USDA-verified (FoodData Central)
Evidence
D
HONEST FLAG: no beet-green-specific clinical trials.
Study dose vs. serving
Boiling reduces soluble oxalate.
No beet-green-specific outcome trial located. Oxalate handling per Chai & Liebman 2005.
Use caution if
You take warfarin or other blood thinners, very high vitamin K content; keep intake consistent You’re prone to kidney stones, beet greens are high in oxalates, like spinach and chard
Details
Type
Superfood
Season
Follows beet season, spring-autumn
Forms
Fresh (often attached to beets)
Price
Budget
Bioactive
Dietary nitrate, betalains, vitamin K
Heat stable
Partial - boiling leaches nitrate and oxalate
Watch
HIGH OXALATE and high vitamin K.
Reliability
Research Reliability